Bottle-crowner head



June 1 1926. 1,587,374

J. J. GAYNOR BOTTLE CROWNER HEAD u 5 am June 1 1926. 1,587,374

J. J. GAYNOR BOTTLE CROWNER HEAD Patented June 1, 1926.

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JOHN J. GAYNOR, 0. 3 INDIANAEOLIS, INDIANA, A1SSIGNOB- TO OGMMON SENSE CROVNEE COMPAIQ'Y, ill INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPUERATION OF INDIANA.

BQTTLE-CROXVNER I-IEADi Application filed December 27, 1922.

My invention relates to bottle crowner heads, its object being to provide'a comparatively simple, lnOKPQDSlVO and highly effective contractible and erpansible' throat,

whereby. a bottle mouth together with a loose crown thereon passing within the throat of the crowner head automatically contracts the throat, thereby placing it in the proper position for the sealing or crowning operation, whereupon the throat automatically expands, permitting the ready withdrawal of the throat from the mouth of the crowned, or sealed bottle, and elin'ii nating any tendency of, the crown to be pulled or loosened from the bottle. The scope of my invention extends to whatever construction may be defined by or included within the terns or pended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig; 1 is a side elevation of the cro'wner head, in position over a bottle,

Fig. 2'is a bottom view thereof with the plunger removed, v

Fig; 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Fig. l is a view in perspective of the retainer sleeve,

Fig. 5 1s a View in PGISPQCUVQOf one of the throat segments,

Figs. (3, 7 and S are fragmentary sections illustrating the different steps of-the. crowning operation.

My invention, in the form or embodiment shown in the drawin s and briefly described, comprises. a casing or housing A, having an enlarged mouth portion B scoured at the lower end thereof, an automatically operable contractible and expansiliile throat C consisting of a plurality of segments or sections, a retainer sleeve D for supporting the segments so that they will more in unison and a weighted plunger E- slidable within and through the bore of the throat.

The casing or housing A of usual form,

is internally screw-threaded at its lower end as shown at 11, for the purpose of engaging with the upper screw-threaded portion 12 of a flared head or mouth portion B. The inner surface 13 of the flared head B is formed conical or upwardly converging to the edge 14-, then continuing upwardly forming a straight bore as shown til; 15..

That the throat C may he renlily ennlanguage of the ap- Serial No. 609,358.

tractible and expansible, 1' preferably form it of a, plurality of uniform se ments or sections 0, which ma T be easily cast or dropforged, assembled and replaced. These should be more than four in number, so that no one segment extends as much as 90 circumferentially. Each of the segments or sections 0 comprises a comparatively thin strip 16, which has a longitudinally straight inner surface but is provided at its lower end with an integrally formed external lug. or enlargement 17. The outer surface 18 of this lug extends in a downwardly and outwardly direction at a suitable angle to fit against the surface 13, and terminates in a somewllat pointed end 19. The angle of the internal lower surface 20 of the lug also extends upwardly and inwardly from the point 19 to the inner straight surface of the strip 16, but diverges from the surface 18. I

have found, by experiment, that the best 7 will have less tendency to bind when in their contracted position.

Near the upper end of each of the throat segments C, and integral therewith, is an outwardly projecting lug 22, which is adapted to engage within a slightly enlarged and corresponding opening 23, formed in the retainer sleeve D, for loosely supporting the segments in their assembled position.

The outer diameter of the retainer sleeve 1) is preferably made slightly smaller'than the bore ofv the housing A, so that it will readily. move upwardly together wit-h the assembled throat C, and may freely fall by its own gravity.

The upper end of the retainer sleeve D is provided with an inwardly extending flange or rim portion 24, for the purpose of reen forcing the sleeve, guiding the plunger, and providing, an enlarged seat for the plunger head, The openings 28, are equi-distantly spaced, horizontally around the retainer sleeve D, so that the segments may be reach ily interchangeable. r H

With special reference to 2, it will be noted that the segments 0 are transversely concave on their inner faces so that when they are in their contracted position (as indicated by dotted lines) a uniformly smooth bore is provided, and are transversely convex on their outer faces, to co-operate with the bore 15 and conical surface 13.

The plunger rod E is slidably mounted within and through the throat C, so that it will rest upon the loose crown on a bottle in advance of the approaching throat and thus will prevent the accidental displacement of the crown during the sealing:' operation. The upper end of the plunger E is provided with an enlarged weighted head 25, and is formed of slightly smaller diameter than the bore of the housing; A, that it may readily slide within the said bore but will limit the downward movement of the plunger by engagement with the internal rim portion 24 at the upper end of the retainer sleeve 1).

Having: thus described the details of my improved crowner head, the operation thereof will now be readily understood.

The entire crowner head is moved in a downward position, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1, whereupon the plunger rod E contacts with the loose crown upon the bottle, and rests thereon while the remainder of the crowner head continues in its dow ward direct on until the outer flanges of the crown come in contact with the surfaces 20 of the several segments that comprise the contractible and expansible throat, for instance, as is illustrated in Fig. 6. It will now be readily seen that the continued downward move ment of the crowner head, accompanied, usually by some downward movement of the movable throat C, will cause the throat C to move relatively upward within its housing; which relative upward movement, as is clearly shown in 7, causes the throat to contract by the interaction of the conical surfaces 13 and 18. The throat C will remain thus contracted and relatively raised in the housing A during; the continued down ward movement of the crowner head, until the completion of the crowning or sealing action. This crowning or sealing; action is produced by the pushing inward of the crimped flange of the crown by the oblique surfaces 20 of the relatively raised throat segments as they descend on the bottle. Upon completion of the crowning); or sealing operation, the impinging act-ion of the oblique surfaces of the throat against the outer rim of the crown is, of coarse, released, in turn permitting the automatic release or expansion of the throat segments, which, of course, promptly return by gravity to their relatively lower or normal position in their housing, as is clearly shown in Fig. 8. Figs.

2' and 3, each show, in dotted lines, the upper extreme or contracted position of the throat.

The aforesaid relative movement of the throat segments in their housing; occurs as a unit. This is caused by the retainer sleeve 1). As a result, it is impossible for one segment to be pushed up relatively to other seg ments, as would occur if there were no retainer sleeve and a bottle-mouth entered the throat somewhat eccentrically. This makes for uniform action, and avoids both poor crowning actions and breaking of bottles.

It will, of course, be readily understood with special reference to Figs. 3, 6, 7 and 8. that bottles of various heights can be sealed or crowned with equal success, as the crowner threat is of sufiicient length to permit of the reception of bottle necks of various lengths.

It is understood that various changes in the construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A bottle crowner head, comprising a casing, a crown-wi rng throat slidably mounted within the casino, and means for automatically contracting the throat actuated by the crown on the bottle, said throat comprising a plurality of crown-wiping segments, and means for compelling said SOfments to move uniformly.

2. A bottle crowner head, comprising" a contractible and expansihle crown-wiping throat, and means for automatically contracting the throat, for sealing a crown upon a bottle, actuated by pressure of the crown against said throat, said throat comprising a plurality of crown-wiping segments, and means for compelling said segments to move uniformly.

A bottle crowner head, comprising; a casing, a normally expanded crown-wipiiur throat slidably mounted within the casing, and means for automatically contracting the throat for sealinga crown upon a bottle, actuated by pressure of the c: nvn against said throat, said throat con'iprisingr a plurality of crown-wiping segments. and means for compelling said segments to move uniformly.

4. A bottle crowner head, comprising a casing, a normally expanded crown-wiping throat slidably mounted within the casing. and means for automatically causing; the throat to contract, operated by a crown upon a bottle, and for permitting the QhPZIll-Slfill of said throat to its normal position upon completion of the sealing or crowninr: operation, said. throat comprising); a iilurality ot' crown-wiping segments, and means for compelling said segments to move uniformly.

5. A bottle crowner head, comprising a contractihle and eXpansihle crown-wiping throat, and means for causing said throat to automatically contract around a crown on a bottle and for permitting the throat to expand out of engagement with the crown ill) meme-74 tracting said throat, for sealing a crown upon a bottle, actuated by pressure of the crown against the throat, and for permitting expansion of said throat upon completion of the sealing or crowning operation,

said throat comprising a plurality of crownwiping segments, and means forcompelling said segments to move uniformly.

7. A bottle crowner head, comprising a casing, a contractible and expansible crownwiping throat slid'ably mountedwithin the casing,

causing the said segments to move, contract ing the throat for sealing a. crown upon a bottle, and means for constraining said crown-wiping segments to move correspondingly in their relative movement in the easing.

8. A bottle crowner head, comprising a casing, a contractible and. expansible crownwiping throat slidably mounted within the casing, said throat consisting of a plurality of segments and means for automatically causingthe said segments to move, contractingthe throat for sealing a crown upon a bottle, actuated by pressure of the crown against the throat and for permitting eX- pansionof said throat upon completion of the sealing, or crowning operation, 'and means for constraining said crown-wiping segments to move correspondingly in their relative movement in the casing.

9. A bottle crowner head, comprising a mouth. portion, having an inwardly converging conical surface, a contractible and ()ZIPZtllSlblB crown-wiping throat slidably mounted within the mouth portion, consisting of a plurality of'crownewiping segments, each having on; its outer face an outwardly extending angular portion for engagement with said conical surface for causing said throat to automatically contract for the crowning, or sealing operation and for ex.- panding upon completion of said operation, and means interconnecting said crown-wiping segments to hold them against longitudinal movement in the mouth portion independently of each other.

10. A bottle crowner head, comprising a casing, a mouth portion secured at the lower end thereof, a weighted plunger rod having a downwardly extending reduced portion, slidably mounted within the casing, and a contractible and expansible crown-wiping throat slidably mounted within the casing and surrounding said reduced portion of said throat consisting of a pluralityof segments and means for automatically the plunger, said throat comprising a plurality of*equi:-d1stantly spaced crown-wiping segments, and means for interconnect ing said crownnviping segments to constrain them to move together longitudinally of the casing.

11-. A bottle crowner head, comprising a casing, a mouth portion secured at the lower end thereof, having an inwardly converging conical surface, a weighted plunger rod, provided with a downwardly extending reduced portion, normally projecting below the crowner head, a eontractible and expansible throat, slidably mounted within the mouth portion, consisting of a plurality of equidistantly spaced segments or sections, each having on its outer face an outwardly extending angular portion adapted to engage the said coni al surface for causing the throat to automatically contract for the crowning or sealing operation and for expanding upon completion of said operation, and a retainer ring provided with a plurality of equi-distantly spaced openings for separating the segments and for preventing their accidental displacement, said segments having projections co-operating with the openings in the retainer ring.

12. A. bottle crowner head, comprising a casing having a longitudinal bore terminating in an internally conical 1nouth,and a contractible and expansible crown-wiping throat consisting of a plurality of crownwiping segments mounted in said casing, saidsegments having oblique outer surfaces for cor-operating with said conical mouth to force: the segments radially inward when they are moved longitudinally upward in said bore, said segments also having lower oblique faces for co-operating with the flange of a crown to crimp it inwardly, said segmentsbcing'interconnected so that they must move together longitudinally of said casing.

13. A bottle. crowner head, comprising a casing having a longitudinal bore terminating in an internally conical mouth, and a contractible and, expansible crown-wiping throat consisting of a plurality of crownwiping segments mounted in said casing, said segments having oblique outer surfaces forco-operating with said conical mouth to force the segments radially inward when they are moved longitudinally upward in said bore, said segments also having lower oblique faces for co-operating with the flange of a crown to crimp it inwardly, and a retainer sleeve slidable in said housing and interconnecting said segments so that they are held from movement longitudinally of the casing independently of one another.

14. A. bottle crowner head, comprising a casing having a longitudinal bore terminating in an internally conical mouth, and a contractible and expansible throat consisting of a plurality of segments mounted in said Cal asing, said segments having oblique outer surfaces for co-o aerating with said conical mouth to force the segments radially inward when they are moved longitudinally upward in said bore, said segments also having lower oblique faces for co-operating with the flange of a crown to crimp it inwardly, said segment, also having straight upward extensions in the bore of the casing and beyond the upper and smaller end of the conical mouth.

15. The combination set forth in claim 14, with the addition of a retaining sleeve in terconncting the upper extensions of said segments 16. A bottle crowner head, comprising a casing having a longitudinal bore terminating in an internally conical mouth, and a (i)lliltlfll'llJlG and expansible throat consisting of a plurality of segments mounted in said casing, said segments having oblique outer surfaces for co-opcrating with said conical mouth to force the segments radially inward when they are moved longitudinally upward in said here, said segments also having lower oblique faces for co-operating with the flange of a crown to crimp it inwardly, said segments also being provided with straight inrer surfaces parallel to the axis of the 0.: H1 g into which straight inner surfaces the oblique lower faces of the segments lead,

1'5. The combination set forth in claim 16, with the addition of a retainer sleeve interconnecting said segments to prevent them f1 om having independent longitudinal movement in the casing.

18. A bottle crowner head, comprising a casing having a longitudinal bore terminating in an internally conical mouth, and a contractible and expansible throat consisting of a plurality of segments mounted in said casing, said segments having oblique outer surfaces for co-operating with said conical mouth to force the segments radially inward when they are moved longitudinally upward in said bore, said segments also having lo er oblique faces for co-operating with the lungs of a crown to crimp it inwardly, and a plunger rod slidable within and through said throat so that its lower end may project below both the throat and the conical mouth into cngagen'ient with a crown on a bottle before said crown enters said mouth and is engaged by the throat.

1D. A bottle crowner head, comprising a casing having a longitudinal bore with an internally conical mouth, a contractible and ei-zpansiblo throat consisting of a plurality of segments mounted in said casing, said segments having oblique outer surfaces for coopcrating with said conical mouth to force the segments radially inward when they are moved longitudinally upward in said bore, said segments also having lower oblique faces for co-operating with the flange of a crown to crimp it inwardly, and a plunger rod slidable within said casing and through said throat so that its lower end will engage a crown on a bottle and be lifted thereby relatively to the casing and throat as the bottle and crown enter the throat, said plunger rod being arranged so that when it is lowered relatively to the casing its weight hangs on said segments and tends to force the segments downward in said casing.

20. A bottle crowner head, comprising a casing having a longitudinal bore with an internally conical mouth, a contractible and enpansible throat consisting of a plurality of segn'ients mounted in said casing, said segments having oblique outer surfaces for cooperating with said conical mouth to force the segments radially inward when they are moved longitudinally upward in said bore, said segments having inner parts for co-opcrating with the flange of a crown to crimp it inwardly, and a plunger rod slidable with in said. using and through said throat so that its lower end will engage a crown on a bottle and be lifted thereby relatively to the casing and throat as the bottle and crown enter the throat, said plunger rod being arranged so that when it is lowered relatively to the casing its weight hangs on said segments and tends to force the segments downward in said casing.

21. A bottle crowner head, con'iprising a casing having a longitudinal bore terminating in an internally conical mouth, a contractible and expansible throat consisting of a plurality of segments mounted in said casing, said segments having oblique outer surfaces for cooperating with said conica mouth to force the segments radially in ward when the are moved longitudinally upward in said here and having inner faces for co-operating with the flange of a crown. to mimp it inwardly, said segments also having upward extensions in the bore of the easing and beyond the upper and smaller end of the conical mouth, said extensions having outwardly projecting lugs, a retainer sleeve slidable in said bore and surrounding the upper ends of said extensions and having openings to receive said lugs, and a plunger slidable within said group of segments and holding said lugs in said openings.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atliz: my

signature.

J OHN J. GAYNOR.

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